Development of the Breast Cancer Stigma Scale for Arab Patients

Health-related stigma is associated with depression, but there is a lack of studies examining the stigma of cancer in Arab patients. The purpose of this study was to establish the reliability and validity of a newly developed, culturally sensitive measure of stigma among Arab women with breast cancer.

The sample consisted of 59 Arab women with breast cancer who were Muslim, on active oncology treatment. The mean age of women was 49 years (standard deviation = 8.31). Content validity was assessed by calculating a Content Validity Index (CVI) based on ratings from seven oncology experts. Convergent validity was assessed by examining the association with a measure of depressive symptoms. Reliability was assessed by calculating Cronbach's alpha.

The measure demonstrated strong content validity (item-CVIs ranged from 0.85 to 1.0 and the scale-CVI was 1.0) and good convergent validity (higher levels of stigma were significantly associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms). Finally, the reliability of the measure was also found to be adequate (alpha = 0.79).

The initial examination of the Breast Cancer Stigma Scale for Arab Patients indicated that the scale is both valid and reliable to be used in Arab women with breast cancer.